Muhammad Akram, who was recently removed from his post as the deputy superintendent of Adiala Jail where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan is incarcerated, has been taken into custody over alleged “facilitation” of the former prime minister.
On June 20, the Punjab Home Department (Prisons) notified the replacement of Akram with Tahir Siddique Shah, prompting Khan to criticize the removal of an “honest” official. It directed Akram to report to the Prisons Department, Lahore, though did not specify any reason for his transfer. His arrest within days of the detention of former ISI chief Lt. Gen. (retd.) Faiz Hameed for allegedly misusing his authority post-retirement has raised eyebrows, as a crackdown initiated against the PTI over its alleged role in the May 9 riots continues.
According to local media, it remains unclear who has taken custody of Akram, who is facing an inquiry over “facilitating” the PTI founder in conveying messages outside the prison in violation of regulations. He is reportedly under interrogation and faces departmental action after the completion of the probe.
Khan has been incarcerated since last August and was convicted in the Toshakhana, cipher and iddat cases earlier this year. However, his sentence in the Toshakhana case has been suspended, while his convictions in both the cipher and iddat cases have been overturned. He remains incarcerated due to an arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on fresh charges related to the sale of state gifts.